


Defenders of Tomorrow

by OddsAndLievens



Category: Voltron: Defenders of Tomorrow, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/F, M/M, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Voltron defenders of tomorrow au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-06-28 16:42:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15711201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OddsAndLievens/pseuds/OddsAndLievens
Summary: The empire has taken over Earth and destroyed Altea. On Earth Alzina and her newfound friends attempt to find the bayards of Voltron and stop the empire, teaming up with a host of allies and fighting a range of villains to reach their goal.WORK INCOMPLETE AND ABANDONED, SORRY!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Leandro = lance  
> Akira = Keith  
> Takashi = Shiro  
> Dante = Adam  
> Alzina = Allura  
> Hanare = Hunk  
> Payla = Pidge  
> Alejandra = Veronica

Akira watched as Payla counted down from five on their fingers. He could feel the hum from his bike beneath him as he revved the engines. They put down the last finger and he leapt forward, the bike shooting through the air and around the track. He made a mental note to thoroughly thank Hanare when he next saw him for the improvements he’d made. The smallest movement eased the bike into the exact position he wanted and the speed of it sent air rushing over his face and through his hair. Akira was drowning in the feeling, immersing himself in the freedom of it all and he hit the brakes and shuddered to a stop.

“Dang Akira! What’s Hanare been doing to your bike?” Payla yelled, hopping down from the fence and strolling over to him.

“Hell if I know. He’s like an engineering wizard.” Payla snorted as they crouched down to inspect the bike.

“Don’t let Leandro hear you say that, he’ll start lecturing you about how magic is _definitely real I swear it! Altea is an actual place and they have magic Paladins!_ ” They chuckled to themself before tapping tablet against Akira’s leg. “Here’s the stats for that last run by the way. You’ve improved by five whole seconds.”

“I’ll get better. That was only my first proper run with the new improvements.” Payla let out an impressed whistle as Akira grinned to himself.

“Alright then, let’s see if you can beat your best time then.” They grabbed the tablet from Akira’s hand and scrabbled back up onto the fence.

Akira bowed mockingly over at them, “With pleasure.” He hopped back onto the bike and watched Payla count down once again. This time he drew his focus to the actual race instead of the feeling he got while riding. At each corner he darted round with a quick jerk of the handles sending him speeding round with ease. He put in a quick burst of speed in for the home stretch and let himself slow to a stop.

“How’d I do?” He asked, dusting off his jeans and swinging his leg round so he could fully face Payla.

“Not bad, you improved another second and a ha-” They stopped talking as a worried look crossed their face. Payla began frantically tapping away at their tablet before muttering out a small “Shit” as they bundled up their stuff and ran over towards Akira.

“We’ve got a patrol coming in from the east.” They told him, hopping onto the back of his bike and strapping a helmet over their head.

“What!” Akira said, glancing over towards the east gate, “They’re early.”

“Well we don’t have time to think about that now. Drive!” Akira didn’t need to be told twice. He zipped forwards and out of the south gate as lights shone across the deserted race track. It used to be part of a school but after the galra had taken over they had built their own schools to educate Earth’s inhabitants. It wasn’t really a school, merely a way to teach obedience and fill children’s heads with an endless stream of propaganda. Neither Akira nor Payla went to school anymore. Payla’s mother had told them that she didn’t want them filling their head with lies and no one had made Akira attend school for years.

 

Across the other side of town Leandro and Hanare were singing along to an old Queen CD that Leandro’s older sister Alejandra had scavenged for him. She was good at finding thing like that and was the reason that Leandro and Hanare had a movie and music collection in the hundreds.

“Alejandra is going to need to find more of their music.” Leandro said as they approached one of the checkpoints. He took the disk out from the CD player and placed it in the glove compartment out of sight, covering it with whatever cluttered garbage he’d thrown in there.

They slowly pulled up to the checkpoint, the galra sentries stood either side of the truck, faces covered and robbing them of all individuality. Leandro guessed that it was also to rob them of any humanity, so that none of the inhabitants saw them as anything other than killing machines.

“State your business.” One of the sentries demanded.

“We’ve just come back from a delivery.” Hanare told them, he reached over and grabbed a small folder of papers, “We have all the paperwork here.”

The sentry took it from his hands and began to slowly read through it. Leandro and Hanare held their breath as he poured over every word before finally handing it back. The pair felt relief was over them but it was short lived as the sentry to their right suddenly told them to stop.

“Wh-Why?” Leandro asked.

“You’ve been selected for a random search. Get out of your vehicle.” The sentry replied, voice icy and cold as the metal that shrouded its body.

“But we’ve just got permission to pass!”

The sentry lifted his gun and they both froze, “Are you disobeying the order to step out of your vehicle?” Leandro shook his head slowly, arms raised and shaking. He couldn’t speak he was so terrified, he merely moved where the sentry told him to move and stood next to Hanare, both acutely aware that a gun was being pointed at their backs.

Every minute dragged on for an eternity until finally the sentry strode over to them, a small silver disc clutched in his hand. He brandished it in Leandro’s face and asked, “What is this?”

“A CD” Leandro managed to mutter out, fear visibly shaking his voice.

“Look at me.” The sentry ordered and he had to forcibly pull his head round to look. The sentry held out the Queen CD to Leandro’s face before crushing it in his grip.

“We’ll let you off with a warning this time.” They said but Leandro barely processed the words as Hanare guided him to the passenger’s side and took the wheel. They passed through the checkpoint and as soon as they were a fair distance apart Leandro told him to stop. Hanare did and as soon as the truck had been brought to a standstill Leandro let out a stifled sob. He shook with anger and fear and relief as he held his hand over his mouth to mute the sounds. Hanare shuffled towards him, wrapping a comforting arm around him and resting his head upon his shoulder. Hanare rarely cried when it was related to real life. He’d cry a river when a fictional character died on screen and be wailing with joy when there was a wedding but when it came to events that would shake people to their very core he seemed to go numb and shut his body off from his feelings. Being friends with an emotionally open guy like Leandro had helped him stop shutting everything down and be aware of how he felt. Right now he felt exhausted and scared but Leandro could ground him even when he wasn’t himself grounded. He was like the ocean on a calm day, still and stable from onlookers providing a sense of serenity but beneath the surface he could be a swirling mess. As Leandro’s best friend he made it his responsibility to help calm him down as Hanare himself was calmed by him.

They sat together until Leandro stopped crying and wiped away the tears and snot from his face. He muttered out a small thank you and Hanare smiled. “Don’t worry dude. We have to keep believing that things will change.”

“It’s all just word though isn’t it? We keep hoping and praying that things will get better but all attempts have fallen through. It’s getting harder to think that anything will ever change.” Leandro sounded defeated, he was staring blankly out of the window as buildings rushed past in a flash of colour while he hunkered down in his seat.

Hanare didn’t know what to say. Leandro had always been so optimistic and hopeful but perhaps Alejandra’s close call with a patrol earlier in the week and now the threat upon his own life was causing his child-like optimism to drain from him.

“What about Voltron? You always said you believed in them?” Leandro scoffed but his eyes looked hurt, “Everyone always said they were just stories.”

They pulled into the hangar in tense silence and Leandro quickly hopped out. Hanare thought he’d head straight inside to his room but instead he pulled the sheet off of his bike and climbed on.

“What are you doing?” He asked, worry clear in his voice.

“I’m going to drive out into the desert and scream my feelings away. What to come?” Hanare rolled his eyes but snatched up the hand that Leandro offered him, hoisting himself up onto the bike behind him.

The engine revved and then burst forward, skidding onto the road and zipping round the corner as Hanare fought to stay on. Leandro sped round corners and down the empty alleys. Most people stayed inside, fearing the patrols that regularly swept the streets but thanks to Hanare’s connections they’d been able to learn the routes and streets where patrols were few and far between in addition to ways of disguising themselves and messing with the sentries’ sensors. Various paints and patterns were found to scramble their sensors, causing the bikes and trucks that used them to be as good as invisible. Ever since the news broke that they could cloak vehicles in this way, every object with wheels or an engine had been coated in the colourful paint and detailed geometric designs. Leandro had to admit it was great turning up to the race track and seeing the various vehicles streak colour as the dashed round.

“Hey Leandro!” Cried a voice and he turned his head to see the smug expression of Akira running parallel to him in his own bike. Unlike Leandro and almost everyone else who attended the race track Akira didn’t use the paint or patterns that helped confuse the sentries, his bike plain red and black. There had been several speculations about why it is that he hadn’t decorated his bike in such a manner. Some believed it was because he didn’t think it worked, others thought it was because he was secretly a spy for the galra. The most common theory was that Payla (a notorious hacker and one of Akira’s close friends) had fitted his bike with a device that would stop him from showing up even without the sensors. In all honesty though, Leandro didn’t care. He merely wanted to race against him and you didn’t need fancy paint or patterns to be able to do that well.

“Bet I can beat you to Invasions peak!” Akira called out, the wind whipping at his hair and jacket and almost carrying his message away.

“You’re on!” Leandro shouted back, ignoring the loud protests from Hanare behind him as he shot forward, losing Akira behind one of the houses as he raced round another corner. He heard a chuckle above him and a quick glance up confirmed his suspicions as Payla and Akira looked down at him, smirking as they went. Leandro shook his head in disbelief and put on a burst of speed, almost sending himself crashing into a wall as he just managed to fly round another corner and out onto the sandy desert. Akira followed close behind, Payla screaming with glee as a cloud of dust washed over them. Leandro shot a quick look back at Akira and noticed that he was slowly gaining on them.

“Did you fix his bike again?” Leandro asked.

“Just a little.” Hanare replied sheepishly and Leandro scowled back at him before he desperately tried to speed up as Payla’s cackling got louder and louder.

From the corner of his eye Hanare noticed a streak of something bright in the sky. It looked like a shooting star but bigger and it almost appeared to be heading towards them. The others hadn’t seemed to have noticed yet and he lightly tapped Leandro on the shoulder.

“Pull over, I think something’s following us.”

“You’re just being paranoid.” Leandro snapped but he noticed Akira and Payla come to a standstill behind him, eyes fixed to something in the sky. Leandro turned to see a giant white object hurtling straight towards them at spectacular speeds. He could see sparks flying off it as it flew towards him and Hanare only just managed to pull him to the ground and out of the way as the object shot past him and hit the sand with a boom. Sand flew everywhere as the four of them shielded their eyes, feeling the heat from the pod scorching their skin in the few second it had passed them.

As the dust settled Hanare and Leandro got to their feet and Akira jumped off his bike, closely followed by Payla. The four looked down into the crater below them at the large white pod that lay half buried in the sand.

“Where’d it come from?” Asked Payla looking back into the sky as if an explanation would be written in the clouds. Akira leapt from the edge of the crater and slid down the slope, making his way over to the pod.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Cried Leandro, jumping in with significantly less grace and stumbling after him, “That thing could be dangerous.”

Akira ignored him as he reached over and wiped away some sand revealing what looked to be a small window. He leaned forward cupping his hands either side of his face and looking inside.

“There’s a person inside.” He said and Leandro, Payla and Hanare looked at each other in shock.

Akira pulled a knife from his back pocket and handed it to Leandro, “Help me get it open.” He said. Leandro took the knife as Akira pulled out the other one and the two began trying to pry it open. They pushed and pulled at the knives, using them as makeshift levers until finally there was a click and the case remained partially apart.

Gently the two lifted up the lid and peered down.

Inside the pod was a girl with dark skin and bright white hair cut into a bob that encircled her head like a halo. Her ears were pointed and taller and along her nose, cheeks and arms were what appeared to be freckles but ones that glowed pink.

“What do we do?” Hanare muttered out nervously, “What if she’s dangerous?”

“We can’t just leave her here.” Leandro said, “A patrol could take her.”

“They could also take us.” Said Akira, “What if she’s a prisoner?”

“Then we’ll protect her.” Payla told him, determination legible on their face, “So long as she won’t hurt anyone we will help her.”

A groan sounded from the pod and they saw the girl slowly rise and stare at them. For a few seconds she seemed dazed before her eyes snapped open and she leapt up, brandishing a sword at them as she asked, “Where am I?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leandro = lance  
> Akira = Keith  
> Alzina = Allura  
> Hanare = Hunk  
> Payla = Pidge  
> Alejandra = Veronica

The four were frozen in place as the girl repeated her question, “Where am I? You will tell me where I am this instant!”

“Earth.” Blurted out Leandro, not enjoying having the second weapon pointed at him with possible dangerous intent in 24 hours.

“I’ve never heard of it.” She said, voice full of suspicion as she took a slow, steady step towards them.

“Maybe she’s looking for the galra colony name?” Hanare whispered quietly to Leandro but apparently not quietly enough as she turned to Hanare.

“Did you say galra?” Her eyes were wide with fear as her voice trembled as she spoke and Leandro could see her hands were shaking as she pointed the sword.

Hanare nodded, “They took over earth before any of us were born and have been in power ever since.” The girl began to glance about nervously, her knuckles white from how hard she was clutching her broadsword though her hand shook and Hanare doubted that she an attack from her would be hard to deflect or avoid.

“It’s ok.” Leandro said, his voice calm and his gestures slow, “There aren’t any galra here right now, they’re back in the city.”

“Uh Leo?” Payla interrupted, biting their lip as they tapped him on the shoulder while they held out their tablet which was now flashing and beeping.

“Please tell me a patrol isn’t approaching.” They nodded sheepishly and a fearful looks passed across the group. The girl seemed the most frightened and her face seemed to drain as she stared over to where the galra would have to approach from, sword still gripped tightly between her hands.

“Leandro,” Akira called, “take Hanare and follow me. Payla, whatever-your-name-is, get on my bike. I know somewhere we can hide.” Payla and Hanare nodded and immediately rushed over to their respected rides, Leandro pouted slightly but still pulled his bike up from the position it had been left in and leapt on. The girl hesitantly sat herself behind Payla as Akira started up the engine.

“Helmet?” Payla offered and after a few seconds of deliberation the girl took it, strapping it over her head just before Akira shot forward, causing her to cling to Payla as the hurtled away from the scene.

 

The galra patrol stopped at the edge of the crater and looked down at the pod, empty and open.

“General,” one of the sentries called, “It’s a match. The pod is confirmed to be Altean.” The woman took the screen from her subordinate’s hands and read through the readings herself.

“Where’s its passenger?” she asked, tossing the data back into the sentry’s hands without a second glance, her steely gaze fixed to the sight below her.

“We don’t know. There was no one present when we arrived.” She nodded to herself almost absentmindedly, reaching beside her to scratch the head of the vulture that was perched upon her shoulder. It leaned its straggled head into the touch, it's eyes glowing white for a second before bowing its head as the general pulled back her hand. The sentry watched as she slowly closed her eyes and moved her hand above the crater. As she did the air seemed to buzz and hum with what felt like static electricity and small glowing trails appeared inside the pod, looping over and over in thin lines until the outline of what looked like a sword was imprinted inside. Her eyes snapped open and everything stilled as the glow began to fade.

“One of the bayards was here.” She said, pausing as her eyes narrowed, “Send out a search party and scour the area. Leave no stone unturned. I want Princess Alzina found alive and I want the bayard in my possession.”

Unanimous cries of “Yes General!” sounded out from the sentries as the woman turned on her heel and stepped back aboard her ship.

“General Merla?”

“What?” She snapped, turning to look at the leader of the patrol with a cold stare.

“Would you like us to alert the Emperor of the incident?”

“No,” she replied bluntly and turning her back on the patrol leader, “I will let him know myself.”  The ship rose into the sky, the sand flying into the air as it took off. Merla looked down upon the desert, scanning it with her eyes until it disappeared from view behind the clouds of dust.

“Find them for me will you dear.” She said and he vulture squawked in reply, it’s eyes flashing white once more before launching from her shoulder and gliding through the air until it too vanished from her sight.

 

Akira checked and double checked the land formations around him, praying he had gone the right route. When his father had still been on Earth and when Akira was having a bad day they’d take a trip into the desert and camp out in one of the caves. It was almost completely hidden from view as the rock surrounding it made it appear as though it were only a crack in the cliff when in actuality it had an opening wide enough to fit most hover bikes through. He would still come here every now and again but he hadn’t been able to stay the night since his father had left, preferring to sleep in the city where the noise kept him sane and the quiet didn’t suffocate him.

Finally Akira spotted the last marker: a tall column of rock with a thin hole at the very top. His father had creatively named it the needle and Akira knew that his father had once made a song up about it but despite his efforts he could only remember the line “At the bottom of the needle, it’s point points to my cave.” The words sung rough and laden thick with an accent he insisted on using whenever he sung.

“Jump off.” Akira instructed as he leapt onto the sand, trying to forget the tune that had dug itself back into his head and stabbed at his heart. The others promptly joined him on the sand, following him from a distance as he walked along the rock until the shadows sunk deeper into the cliff. He pushed the bike inside and ushered the others in behind him.

They fumbled in the half dark while Akira strode about with ease, even without his spectacular eyesight he still knew the cave like the back of his hand and it took very little time for him to find the matches and light a lamp.

The illuminated room showed his guests two sunken crevices in the wall both with neatly laid out beds that looked completely untouched. A wooden crate sat in the middle of the room with an open sketch book and some pencils scattered across it while metal crates sat in corners and as seats. Books were piled high along the walls and in mesh baskets that hung from the ceiling, also containing cans of food and other miscellaneous items.

“Whoa,” Leandro said, “You live here?”

“Uh, no.” Akira replied, “I just stay here every now and again. My dad helped set it up.”

Leandro was wandering about in wonder. He was partially jealous that Akira got so much space to himself while he had only just gotten his own room and that had only been because his older brother had finally been able to move in with his husband. He glanced down and noticed the sketchbook lying open on the crate. The current page showed a rough sketch of what looked like one of the races he and Akira took part in. The hover bikes were drawn in great detail and looked as though they were actually flying across the page, the colours streaking behind them and blending into the patterns on the bikes. The rider’s however were slightly off, as if Akira didn’t know what they should look like and ended up having to guess the features. Leandro went to turn the page when Akira snatched the book from his hand and clutched it protectively to his chest.

“Don’t look at that.” He told him, each word spat out like a threat, “It’s private.”

“What? You got a load of naked drawings in there or something?” Leandro teased.

“IT’S A NESSESARY PRACTICE!” Akira exclaimed, blushing as he did so before storming away from him and tossing the sketchbook up into one of the baskets above him. Leandro found his embarrassment amusing and chuckled as Akira scowled at him before disappearing round the corner of the rock with a grumble.

The girl they’d found in the pod was standing awkwardly to the side, hovering close to the exit and keeping a firm grip on her sword. It was clear she was unsure about the intentions of those who’d rescued her and was looking upon them with a mixture of fear and suspicion.

“So we don’t really know your name yet.” And the girl leapt at the sound. Payla jumped back, startled by her reaction as they’d forgotten that their small size and generally light-footed steps meant that they’d unknowingly managed to sneak up on her. The girl calmed down quickly, seeing that Payla was of no immediate threat and it had been a simple misunderstanding. She lowered the sword, blushing with embarrassment as she asked, “Sorry. Uh, what did you ask me?”

“Your name?” Payla prompted.

“Right.” She turned to the others to the room as Akira returned from behind the back cave, a silver flask held in his hand, “I am Princess Alzina of Altea, daughter of King Alfor and the current Black paladin of Voltron.” The room stared at her in stunned silence before a grin stretched across Leandro’s face. “I knew it! You all said it was a children’s story but I told you Altea existed! I told you the paladins were real!” Leandro was squealing with delight as he flaunted his victory proudly. All his life he’d grown up with whispered stories of Altea and the mythical Paladins of Voltron who, with the help of their bayards, could use magic to right the injustices of the world. Leandro had clung the idea that they existed, despite everyone’s protests that they were mere stories. Alzina was living proof that he had been right. Altea was real. The paladins were real. Magic was… he dashed towards Alzina.

“Wait, if Altea exists and the Paladins are a thing does that mean magic is also something that exists?” He looked at her with pleading eyes, and she was thoroughly convinced that if magic didn’t exist the puppy dog eye Leandro was displaying would force it into existence to please him.

“It certainly does,” She said with a warm smile, “I’ll show you.” Hanare and Payla shuffled closer as Alzina held out her hand, curiosity blooming on their faces.

“I might be a bit rusty.” She warned before closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath. At first it seemed like nothing was happening but Payla noticed a tug on their clothes and saw bands of air and wind whipping about, gathering in a small orb in the centre of Alzina’s palm. She gently swept her arm round and pointed towards the nearest rock wall, it grew in size, twisting and turning with a power that felt like it would pull Payla off their feet. Alzina took another slow breath before throwing the ball towards the cave wall. A rush of wind washed over them all and a cloud of dust burst from the wall as a circular hole nestled itself into the rock.

“That was so awesome!” Cried Leandro, his eyes sparkling with joy as he broke the impressed silence that had fallen briefly over the cave. Alzina beamed with pride, she’d been unsure of her capabilities and was pleased to see that her training had paid off.

“So you’ve heard of Altea then?”

Leandro nodded, “Yes, I read as much as I could find about it.” “He became obsessed with it.” Piped up Akira as he stepped back towards the group and taking a swig from a small silver bottle and reeling from its taste.

“I didn’t become obsessed with it, just very invested.” Leandro replied defensively, “What’s it really like though?” he asked, turning back to Alzina.

“It’s… it was….” Alzina’s smile faltered as the horrible memory of Altea’s fall replayed in her mind. She screwed her eyes shut, trying to block it out. “It’s gone.” She said, crossing her arms tightly across her chest and hunching into her shoulders.

“Hey, it’s ok. If you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine.” Hanare told her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder and offering her a small smile of encouragement as her guided her to one of the crates being used as a stool.

“No, it’s fine. I… I need to be strong, I need to find the bayards and the lions and I need to stop the galra.” She brushed her hand over the sword’s hilt, tracing the patterns she knew so well and in her childhood been able to recreate in detail from memory alone. Her father hadn’t been the black paladin. This had never been his bayard but it still came to look exactly like his own broadsword. Her father died to give her a chance to fight, he’d sent the bayards somewhere safe and managed to hand her the black bayard just before she’d been sent hurtling away from her home. Her last memories was the blinding fire and the ships of those she’d once called allies and friends burning her planet to ash.

“We need to find the bayards, with them I can reassemble the paladins and summon the Voltron lions. We can put a stop the galra.” She frantically wiped the tears from her eyes as determination placed itself firmly upon her features. Alzina rose to her feet and turned to look at her crew of saviours. “Will you help me?”

“Of course.” Cried Payla, leaping up to their feet. “Yeah!” Shouted Leandro, a confident grin stretching across his face, “I’m so ready to help take them down.”

“I’m in.” Said Akira.

“Me too, Princess.” Added Hanare and Alzina’s smile grew wider as hope blossomed in her chest.

“So,” asked Payla, “What next?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leandro = lance  
> Akira = Keith  
> Alzina = Allura  
> Hanare = Hunk  
> Payla = Pidge  
> Alejandra = Veronica  
> Dante = Adam  
> Takashi = Takashi Shirogane

The knife came suddenly from the side, skimming his clothes as he leapt back into the path of a swinging fist. Barley managing to miss it he ducked down, his leg spinning round to knock the woman off her feet and succeeding as she fell backwards. He allowed time for a brief smile before a shout of “Heads up!” Caused him to glance to the ceiling and finding it empty. All of a sudden his legs disappeared from beneath him and he tumbled on top of the lady he’d knocked to the floor earlier. He didn’t even have time to sit up before a knife was placed to his neck and the woman still standing said, “Yield?”

“Yes, yes I yield.” Lotor said, letting Ezor help him to his feet. “Two on one with no weapons hardly seems fair though.”

“This isn’t about fairness though is it though?” Zethrid stated, standing up, “It’s about winning.”

Lotor rolled his eyes and began to pick up the various training equipment they’d used. It was getting late and he wanted to disappear to his room before his fiancée returned. He shivered at the thought in disgust.

“Axca and Narti didn’t end up joining us then.” Zethrid said, gathering a stack of shields in one hand and a sack of throwing discs in another.

“Seems like it.” Ezor replied, tidying up the javelins and placing them each into their own separate holders in the storage room.

“Merla is intentionally keeping them busy, she knows that they’re up to something.” Said Lotor, tossing the swords onto a table haphazardly. “If only I’d been able to distract her a little longer then maybe…”

“Hey, hey, hey! What did I tell you about blaming yourself for that stuff?” Ezor asked him, placing each of her hands on his cheeks. “We all made mistakes that night and you did everything you could to stop her.”

“Lotor!” Cried a voice and Ezor and Zethrid’s faces dropped into scowls.

“Speak of the devil.” Muttered Zethrid as she pulled her helmet over her head.

“Lotor!” called the woman once more, now stood in the doorway. She was dressed in her armour and had set it to its official colour of blue and silver. “I thought I would find you here.” She said, approaching him with arms wide open, expectantly awaiting a hug or embrace of some kind. Instead Zethrid and Ezor blocked her path.

“Another step forward Merla, I dare you.” Zethrid said and watched as Merla’s smile faltered slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line of distaste for a mere moment before the sickly sweet smile plastered itself upon her lips again, “What’s so wrong about a couple embracing dear Zethrid? If you and your partner here are allowed to then I feel I am just as entitled.”

“You forget that we aren’t married yet general and even if we were you would be treated just the same.” Lotor spat and he watched as her face darkened.

“Very well my love, I merely came here to pass on some information. I thought you and your little friends deserved a head start in finding Princess Alzina.” She turned to leave but already Merla knew that she had caught the Prince’s attention and this would be all she needed to goad him into showing his hand.

“Wait.” He said, pushing past Zethrid and Ezor despite their fearful glances, “What did you just say? What do you know about Princess Alzina?”

She smiled, stepping back over towards him as she shook her finger, “Tut, tut Lotor, first you ask me what I want, then I tell you what I know.”

Lotor took a deep breath and swallowed his pride as he asked, “What do you want?”

Her smile grew wide, “I want you to marry me.”

“We’re already engaged.”

She shook her finger again, “No, I want you to marry me while your father is still visiting this colony. No more postponing or making up excuses. If you want that information I want your word.”

“What stops me from backing out after you give me what I want?” Lotor asked.

“Do you honestly think I can’t convince your father to send you back to solitary? Or convince him that your friends here aren’t traitors? You go back on your word and I will make sure they are publicly executed and you don’t see the outside world until you are ready to cooperate.” She grinned again and it made Lotor feel sick to his stomach, “Do we have a deal?”

He looked back at Ezor and Zethrid but they glanced away. This was his choice and they were not going to let themselves alter his decision.

“Deal.” Lotor said.

“Good,” Merla replied, “I’ll send you’re two friends over with the information in a bit. Remember, I do this all to assure your ascension to the throne.” Her smiled widened as she raised her newly gloved had to cup his cheek. Lotor let it linger, fighting the urge to pull away as a triumphant look spread across her face before she turned on her heel and exited, leaving them alone.

“Assure your ascension to the throne? Please, the only ascension to the throne that she cares about is her own.” Ezor said and Lotor nodded but the words didn’t seem to properly reach him.

“Let’s go to your room and wait for Narti and Acxa. Maybe they found something else out?” Zethrid suggested, gently guiding him out and up to his own rooms.

 

Meanwhile, down on the ground Dante was slowly stirring awake as someone pounded on his door. He groaned as the banging continued and felt his husband begin to wake beneath him.

“Dante? What time is it?” He asked blearily, running his hand over his face and yawning. Dante turned his head to glance at their alarm. “It’s three.”

“PM?”                

“AM.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Get some sleep Takashi, you need it.”

“Fine but I’m hogging the blanket while you’re gone.” He replied and Dante rolled his eyes as he pulled on his dressing gown and made his way towards the door.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Dante cried, muttering angrily under his breath as he opened the door. “Leo?”

“Hey!” He wore a grin upon his face that was extremely ill advised to show in the presence of Dante after having been rudely awoken for no apparent reason.

“Leandro Espinosa…” It was the only warning Leandro got before Dante dove into a lecture on how it was rude to simply show up out of the blue in the middle of the night, disturb him and his sleep deprived husband of the rest they sorely need and… The fast paced Spanish slowed to a stop as Dante’s eyes drifted to the band of teens lurking beside Leandro and fidgeting awkwardly as he spoke. Sighing and placing his head against the door frame for an exasperated second Dante ushered them inside.

The room was fairly small, squeezing the kitchen, dining and living room into one. Luckily the pair kept it relatively clean with the only mess limited to a few drying shirts and the stack of dirty plates that neither Dante nor Takashi had wanted to deal with earlier that night.

“Like to fill me in on why there is a band of children at my door at 3am?” Dante asked, flipping the kettle on to make himself some tea. Something told him he’d need it.

“Ok,” Leandro began as Akira, Payla and Hanare took a seat on the sofa, “You know how I told you that Altea was real and the paladins of Voltron were real?”

Dante sighed, “If you’re about to tell another crackpot theory abou…” Leandro cut him off, pressing his finger to his brother’s lips while he tried to contain his glee.

“Alzina, do the thing!” Alzina nodded and held her hands out towards the kettle just beside Dante as it began to steam. She took a determined breath as she focused the air to lift it up and then pull it towards her. The movement was jagged and she had to focus on keeping it upright as it moved towards her but she eventually grabbed it from the air without having spilt a single drop.

“Introducing Princess Alzina of Altea, Black paladin of Voltron who can also do magic!”

Leandro was beaming and the others were still looking on with an expression of awe, not yet used to the idea that magic was an actual thing that existed. Dante was frozen in shock, his eyes wide and his mouth parted ever so slightly. He felt as though the Santa or the eater bunny or any number of fictional beings he’d believed in as a child were stood in front of him and his mind didn’t quite know how to process it.

“T-Takashi can you come in here?” He called, his eyes fixed on Alzina and the kettle, “Takashi!”

After a few moments the man stumbled into the room, blanket still half wrapped around his figure as he glanced about the room in confusion.

“Why are their children in our living room?” He asked as Dante finally found the energy to move over to his husband.

“Alzina, could you show the…” he waved his hands vaguely but Alzina understood enough and let go of the kettle, letting if float away from her and towards Dante and Takashi. Dante snatched it from the air and pressed it closer to Takashi’s face.

“Please tell me I’m not going insane!” he pleaded as Takashi also stared in wonder at the kettle. He glanced over towards Alzina who was awkwardly stood in the centre of the room, eyes darting back and forth as though she were unsure as to what she should be doing.

“You know what?” Takashi said, “I think it’s a little late to be discussing all of this right now so how about we all get some rest and talk about this in the morning?”

“Takashi…” Dante began but he seemingly ignored the protests.

“Alzina? Was it?” she nodded and Takashi smiled warmly at her, “I take it you don’t have anywhere else to stay, if you’d like we have a sofa bed for you to sleep on and I’m sure Leandro can drop off some spare clothes for you in the morning.”

Alzina’s smile was unsure and avoided his gaze as she asked, “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

Takashi brushed the comment aside, “So long as you don’t mind the size and like pancakes you’re more than welcome to stay.” The two grinned as Dante simply gave up, flopping down against his husband in exhaustion and muttering confused Spanish into his shoulder. Takashi muttered back a comment in broken Spanish which made Dante chuckle. He pressed a light kiss against Takashi’s cheek before stumbling back towards their bedroom.

Meanwhile the others began filing out of the house. Akira was the first to leave, having drawn his hood over his face and nestled his face into his shirt. Payla had thought he was growing tired, but the dash to the door once it was deemed an appropriate time to leave proved otherwise. They followed swiftly after him, calling out their farewell messages as they went. Akira was already prepared to leave by the time she’d made it onto the street and Payla wasted no time in hopping on behind him. Akira started up the engine but before he could drive off Leandro called out to them.

“Akira wait!” He said, placing a hand gently over Akira’s, who jerked it away soon after. “You’re gonna be racing tomorrow right?”

“Uh, yeah.” Akira replied quietly.

Leandro grinned, “Cool.” He let go of the bike and stepped back towards Takashi’s door. “I’ll see you there!”

Akira nodded slowly before driving off, hearing Leandro’s musical voice ask Alzina to sneak him and Hanare some of Takashi’s pancakes. He could feel the warm blush spreading across his face and Payla’s shit eating grin burning into the back of his head. He tried to focus on the cool wind that rushed across him, whipping at his clothes as they zipped round corners but all he could feel was the ghosts of Leandro’s fingers upon his own.

“You got it bad Samurai.” Payla teased and in his head Akira cursed himself for letting it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been...a while but here's an update because I finally got round to finishing it.


	4. Chapter 4

Akira was pushing the bike across to the start line. He muttered a silent prayer to himself that he would win. He wanted to win. He _needed_ to win. The very last of his money had been spent on a bet that he’d win, without the money he could gain from it he’d have nothing but the stolen bike and the clothes on his back.

“Hey, kid in the red!” called a voice from behind him, “You honestly think you’re going to win on that old thing?” Akira ignored the comment even though it made his blood boil to an unreasonable degree. He knew he could take down that kid in an instant, hell, he could kill him if he wanted to but he wasn’t going to rise to it.

“Mocking the other competition because you’re scared to lose James?” Akira glanced behind him to see a tall kid, with brown skin and bright blue eyes challengingly leaning over his bike to stare at James. Was he trying to intimidate him?

James rolled his eyes, “Please, you’ve never even won a single race. Even with your mechanic friend over there.” The boy furrowed his brows and looked as though he were about to retort but a voice broke through the noise of the crowd through the run down speakers: “All racers please approach the starting line.”

James and the other boy moved to the start of the race track, climbing on board their bikes and pulling faces at one another. Akira forced himself to look away from the pair as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. This was what he was good at. He could do this. He just needed to win and everything would be ok.

The countdown began, “On your marks”

The last few contestants hurried into place, laughing and shouting because to them this was all a bit of fun. This was all a game and nothing was on the line for them.

“…Get set”

James revved the engine on his bike and several other racers followed.

“…GO!”

Akira twisted the handles and his bike shot forward. The wind whipped at his hair and dust clawed at his eyes but he furrowed his brow and tried not to think of the others. His resolve was short lived and he soon cast a glance back at the other racers, watching as James’s look of disbelief melted into anger as he began to gain on him.

Akira paid him no attention as they approached the second corner and the start line. He heard the commentator’s voice as he sped past and the muffled shout of “fuck” from somewhere on James’s right behind him after failing to overtake him at the corner. Akira allowed a small smile to slip onto his face as the first turn approached again but before he could even begin to tilt the handlebars something slammed into him.

His bike began to skid toward the fence and Akira desperately struggled to regain control, gripping the handles to prevent himself from flying off as James and the other racers passed him. Smug and pitiful expressions passed him in a blur making him feel sick to his stomach.

“No, no, no, no, no!” he chanted as he darted forward again and began slaloming between the other racers. He could hear something scratching and clunking inside the bike and it felt like it was beginning to heat up but he pressed onwards. He had to hold out and win.

He was in fourth place as he finished the second lap with the boy from earlier just in front of him. As they approached the next corner he dove towards the inner edge, throwing the handlebars round to make the tightest turn possible, barley making it and throwing up a cloud of dust which burned his eyes and throat.

He didn’t slow down, even while his seat felt unbearably hot he put on another boost of speed, managing to pass the girl in second place and slowly gaining on James. The last corner was approaching and James was just in the lead, moving frantically from side to side to stop Akira from passing him. Akira looked to the left of the corner and saw that the fence curved ever so slightly up from the ground and around. With one final push he forced the bike towards the wall. It lasted only a second but Akira could feel his heart pounding as the bike curved upwards, soaring through the air and landing with a painful thud on the track just in front of James. His legs ached and he felt winded from the strength of the landing but it didn’t matter, it would have been worth it just to hear James curse and swear behind him.

He raced through the finish line to the sound of thunderous applause as he drew in a slow and shaky breath, relief pouring over him in waves as a triumphant smile subtly melted onto his lips. Would his dad have been proud of him?

“Hey!” cried a voice from the stands as a kid with dark skin leap over the fence and jogged towards him. “Can I take a look at your bike because it really shouldn’t be smoking that much!” Akira hesitated slightly but settled on the fact that his bike would either get fixed for him or he would have to steal a new one.

“YOU!” came a shout from behind him and Akira turned quickly to look for the source of the cry. He expected to see a fuming James barrelling towards him with murderous intent he was surprised when instead he saw the blue eyed boy from before charging forwards with a smirk dancing across his face and a determined look pulling at his brows. He stepped away from his bike and grasped Akira’s hand, pulling him closer, “You’re my new rival!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that the update couldn't be longer after leaving this fic for a while on a hiatus. I'm going to be posting another chapter tomorrow in penance but after that point I will try and stick to a fairly regular schedule of every Friday or at the very least once a week.  
> I have enough chapters scheduled that so I should be safe until the holidays :)  
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Alzina woke up to a wonderfully sweet smell dancing through the air. She rolled herself over with a groan and looked about her with bleary eyes. Takashi was stood over the stove, a bowl of batter to his right and Dante to his left. She watched as they affectionately poked at one another, feigning anger and annoyance, telling one another to be quiet before descending into giggles they had to stifle with their hands.

Alzina couldn’t help but smile as she watched. There was a warm sense of familiarity reminding her of her father and her mother, or her father and Coran, or her mother and Coran; the three playing elaborate games of hide and seek across the castle grounds when she was little or cuddling up with her as they took turns reading her a bedtime story, usually ending with Coran getting too excitable in recreating it that her father would have to finish the story early. The image was so clear in her head, Coran brandishing her prop swords and staging a dramatic battle with either her father or mother as the other narrated. An ache grew in her chest as the loss. She hadn’t even been read to like that for years and now all Alzina wanted was to crawl back into their arms as they laughed and smiled.

“Alzina, sorry did we wake you?” Dante asked in concern and snapping Alzina out of her daydream.

She shook her head, “No, don’t worry it was probably the cooking. It smells wonderful!”

Alzina could see the relief pour over Dante as he smiled, “Just wait until you taste them.” He said, “It’s about the only thing he can cook well!”

He was right of course, Alzina wolfed the pancakes down until her stomach hurt and by that point she’d long since lost count of how many she’d had.

She helped Takashi tidy away, ignoring his protests as Dante finished collecting various stacks of paper he’d left piled in various locations. Once he’d found a bag large enough to fit them all inside he gave a quick kiss on the cheek to his husband and told the pair that he’d be back at five before departing.

“Where’s Dante going?”

“He’s going to work. He’s a teacher for one of the few schools not run by the empire… the only teacher these days.” Takashi replied pulling several Tupperware boxes from his cupboard and beginning to pile leftover pancakes into them. “I used to work their but Dante moved me to book work. Probably for the best to be fair but I know he’s doing more than me. Pass me the post-it notes would you Alzina.” She handed the pack over to him as he sealed the boxes shut.

“Takashi?” Alzina asked, her eyes wandering to where his right arm should be, “I’m sorry if it’s rude but… did the Empire…”

Takashi followed her eyes and smiled solemnly, “Did the Empire take my arm? Sort of.” He finished for her, “A few years back they sent out forcible recruitments. No one was sure what the criteria was for anyone who was brought in but I happened to be one of them. Recruits were rarely used as fighter pilots but when they were it was usually so resistance members would waste their fire on us.” He fell silent for a moment, as though the images were flashing through his head but continued, “One day they sent us out and my ship was hit, I was lucky. I didn’t die but when I woke up I was informed that I’d lost my arm and was discharged.”

“Did no one try to fight back? Rebel?” Takashi shook his head.

“Your families were threatened. None of the recruits dared act out although there was a large resistance movement that operated while I was away, Payla’s brother used to run it.”

“Used to?” She said, already suspecting what had transpired.

“Few months before I got back both Payla’s brother and father were captured. They didn’t give any names but some of their subordinates who’d been captured at the same time did. There probably are other resistances but none that I know of.”

Alzina felt a twinge of empathy towards Payla and thought back to their meeting the other day with admiration. She wanted to give them a big hug when she next saw them. If they wanted hugs that is.

A knock sounded from the door and Leandro’s voice called out through the letter box asking “Takashi? Alzina? You up?”

Alzina opened the door and was greeted with wide smiles from Hanare and Leandro. Hanare seemed to have a large box strapped to his back. It seemed heavy with the straps visibly straining under the weight but nonetheless Hanare seemed unphased.

“Takashi are you gonna come and watch us race?” Leandro asked as Takashi cautiously handed Alzina her sword and grabbed a coat.

“Of course,” he scoffed, handing Leandro two Tupperware boxes, “And here are your pancakes and some for your siblings.” Leandro’s smiled grew impossibly wider as he clutched them to his chest. Takashi handed a box to Hanare and placed the rest back in his satchel.

“Ready to leave?” Hanare asked.

“Wait!” Leandro yelled, dashing over to his bike and pulling a bag from the handle and handing it out to Alzina with a flourish. “As many clothes as I could borrow plus a few that I stole because I think you’d like them. Oh, I also put some moisturizer in there and a toothbrush and toothpaste, everything I could think of that you’d need.” Alzina took the bag with a grin and quickly searched through it. Inside were several pairs of jeans and some t-shirts along with two or three jumpers and both a bomber and leather jacket. Alzina pulled the bomber jacket from the bag in awe. It was white with pale pink patches running along the shoulders and down the arms. The fabric was silky and not a blemish could be seen.

“I love it!” she said, hugging Leandro tightly as the markings on her face lit up.

But Leandro’s face fell, “Oh no!”

“What? Is it bad that I like it? Do you want it back?”

“No, no, no not that. I was meant to get some concealer for your glowing freckles. Ugh! What do we do now?”

The group fell silent briefly until Takashi’s eyes suddenly lit up and he darted inside for a few moments before returning with a white scarf. He gentle wrapped it around the lower half of Alzina’s face before stepping back and saying “Perfect!”

The scarf looked very out of place with the rest of her summery outfit but it at least matched colour wise. Hanare and Leandro narrowed their eyes but eventually shrugged it off, vowing to buy some concealer with Alzina later that night as they began to make their way towards the race track.


	6. Chapter 6

“LET ME OUT THIS INSTANT YOU SCUM!” came the shouts from inside the cell and Lotor couldn’t help but feel nervous.   
Merla had given him a file of information filled with details which should have been passed on to his father. For whatever reason they hadn’t been and from what he could gather an Altean pod had been found in the desert, not far from the outpost he was currently staying at, and inside the pod they’d found the energy signatures from the black bayard. As King Alfor had died during the attack on Altea the new wielder had to be Alzina. The other useful information which Merla had left for him was the location of the few Altean survivors that the Empire had managed to capture. Two of the Alteans listed had been of great interest to him: one was the literal second father to Alzina who’d entered a polyamorous relationship with the royal couple shortly after Alzina’s birth and the second was Romelle, Alzina’s girlfriend and Lotor’s close friend. If he had a chance of finding Alzina then he may as well try and start with her friends and family. He wouldn’t deny that part of his cause for visiting was partially selfish in nature, after all Romelle was one of his friends and he wanted to reassure her that she had at least one ally.  
“Stand away from the door.” The guard next to him called into the cell.  
“I will not! Why don’t you come in here and fight me? Send in your strongest warrior! Heck, send in Zarkon if you must!”   
The sound of air being released slipped from the door as if was pulled open and instead of being met with a hug or even a high five from his friend, instead Lotor received a strong punch to the face which sent him stumbling backwards a few steps.  
Romelle’s hands shot to her face and gasped, “Lotor?”  
It took a few minutes to convince the guards he was fine and once they were sure that Romelle wasn’t going to hurt him Lotor was finally allowed inside.  
The second the door closed he was pounced on, Romelle pulling him into a tight hug.  
“I’m so pleased to see you!” she told him, “Please tell me Alzina’s safe!” She murmured the last bits into his shoulder, scared that his response would be everything she feared.  
“She’s not in the Empires hands but from the escape pod and the traces of energy from the black bayard I think she’s safe for now.”   
Romelle let out a sigh of relief as she sunk back against the wall. “Are you going to try to find her?”  
“Hopefully before the rest of the Empire does.”  
“How’s Altea.” Romelle couldn’t meet his eyes as she asked.  
“It’s gone.”  
She bit her lip and nodded sadly, drawing in a shuddering breath through her nose and shakily releasing it as a tear slipped down her face.  
“How many are left?”  
“Romelle…”  
“I said how many!” she yelled, the tears freely flowing from her face, “How many of us are left.”  
“130,478 is the most recent estimate.” He replied and watched as her eyes went wide. Her hand gripped the wall as the strength from her legs gave way.  
“That few?” she breathed out, her voice trembling with shock, “Billions down to a little over 100,000!”  
“Romelle we need to stop them.”  
She laughed. Painful and pain filled. Wiping her face with the edge of her sleeve she stated, “I know. Alzina needs to form Voltron. I don’t know who else will be able to help her but she’s got us for now, all I can hope is that she finds people who she can trust.”

“So this machine will help us find the other bayards?” Alzina asked, sceptically looking down on the pieced together computer that was currently hooked up to her sword.  
“We hope so.” Payla said, “The goal is to scan the energy signals coming off of your bayard and use it to find objects that have a similar reading. Fingers crossed that we can actually find anything.”  
“Pfft, please, you doubt my skills?” Hanare scoffed as he finished connecting all the wires up, “Perfect! Ryan you don’t mind us testing this out here do you?”  
Ryan shrugged and Hanare gleefully plugged the scanner in. Payla and Hanare seemed mesmerised by the readings. Alzina wondered if there was anything particularly interesting about them but when she peered over their shoulders all she could see was streams of numbers she could make neither head nor tail of.  
After sitting for a minute trying to understand what it was that had gotten them so excited Alzina decided that it were better to leave the math to a pair who understood it far better than she could. “Ok then, I’m going to go and watch the races. You guys have fun with your numbers.” The two nodded in response but refused to pull their gaze from the screen for even an instant.  
Alzina stepped out from the shed and made her way towards Takashi and Akira who seemed to be having a heated discussion with one another. Akira looked like he was It looked uncomfortable and Alzina felt her presence would only make it more awkward. Making a U-turn she strolled over to Leandro who looked like he was fretting over his bike.  
“Hello Leandro!” she called.  
“Oh, hey Alzina. You finished with Payla and Hanare?”  
“Not really but I don’t really understand what they’re doing so I came to watch you and Akira race. Is something wrong?”  
Leandro’s eyes darkened as his smile became tight and forced, “Alzina I’m going to lose, I’m so stressed right now I just binge ate all Takashi’s pancakes, which isn’t going to do anything good for my complexion!” Leandro slumped over the seat of his bike with a muffled sob.  
“Heyyy.” Alzina lifted him up, her hands placed either side of his face as she squished his cheeks together, “It’s just a game! Why all the fuss?”  
“Alzina this game cost me 100 credits.”  
“…why would anyone spend that much on a game?” she whispered in horror.  
“You can win it back, but Akira always wins anyway.”  
She let go of his face, letting him fall back against his bike, “Why would you play a game where you know who will win?”   
“Exactly!” Leandro sighed, “But then how would I cement my rivalry with Akira? How will I get my name put in the history books as his greatest rival if I do not consistently challenge him? ONE DAY I WILL DEFEAT YOU!” His smiled returned as the horn signalling the start of the race sounded across the track.  
“Good luck Leandro! Good luck Akira!” The pair waved back at her, Akira seeming somewhat half-hearted but nonetheless plastering a smile on his face.  
Alzina looked across the crowd, trying to see where Takashi had gone so that they could watch it together. A squawk came from above and Alzina turned to see a scraggly vulture perched on top of one of the floodlights. It cocked its head to the side as it looked about. For a moment Alzina thought that it was searching for something to eat until their eyes met and she felt her blood run cold in her veins. Her heart began pounding in her chest as she attempted to hide amidst the crowd but already it was too late as a deafening cry came from the bird. Merla had already found her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some people gave Romelle the name Rowan but...I don't actually have a reason why I didn't name her that, I just did.


	7. Chapter 7

“Run!” Alzina began to scream, pushing herself through the crowd so that she could make it to her bayard, “Run, the Empire knows we’re here!”

She shoved people out of the way and burst back into the shed.

“Alzina, great timing! We’ve just secured a- what are you doing!” Payla screeched as Alzina ripped the sword from the connectors.

“The Empire knows I’m here, we need to get everyone out now, trace the signals and find the other bayards.” Hanare and Payla leapt up after her orders, scrambling to pack up their equipment.

“I’ll get Ryan to put out a message over the comms.” Payla told them, “Hanare and I will try and trace the nearest energy signal. Promise us you’ll rendezvous at Takashi’s.”

“What about the racers?” Hanare piped up, “Leandro said they can barely hear the speakers on the track.”

“Leave them to me.” Alzina said as she strode out into the crowd; sword in hand they parted easily as Alzina approached the railings. She hopped over it and walked into the middle of the race track, ignoring the shouts from the onlookers. She pointed the sword at the fast approaching riders. Needing to stop them. She could put up a wall, that would be easy but that would also hurt them.Gripping the blade she focused on the air slowing them down, dragging them to a standstill. They were getting louder. Closer. Her other hand clasped the hilt as she commanded it to stop them, to ease them into a rest. Heat and dust and then silence.

She cautiously opened her eyes and saw with relief the riders stopped in place by an invisible barrier. No one was hurt, just confused and the air she didn't even realise she'd been holding in rushed from her mouth in relief. 

Through the speakers came the explanation and it was then that everyone seemed to realise in a panic what was happening.

The way the people fled in absolute terror saddened her. It saddened her even more seeing it again.

In less than a minute the track was empty.

“Alzina!” came a shout and as she turned she could see Leandro calling to her, “Come on we need to go!”

She turned away as though ignoring it would make it better. No one else was going to get hurt. No one else was going to die and she wasn’t going to put her newfound friends’ lives in danger.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Akira looked round at her and pulled his own bandana up across his face, a dagger clutched tightly in his hand.

“Akira-”

“I’m not leaving.” He stated.

“Neither am I!” said Leandro, “I’m scared as shit but I’m not going anywhere.”

Alzina smiled, “Please just leave. The Empire is too strong, what are you going to be able to do?”

“Stab them?”

“Shoot them!”

“This is a terrible idea!” Alzina said. She waited for an argument or disagreement of some kind but when none came she simply sighed. Pulling the scarf from around her face she offered it to Leandro. “They already know what I look like but at the very least I can try and protect your identity.”

Leandro nodded, wrapping it across his face as he gripped the pistols he had in both hands. Akira brushed his hand along his waist, counting the number of knives he had strapped there as Alzina held her sword out in front of her.

They waited until a vulture swept over their heads, circling them as a figure stepped forward, either side of her a wall of droids and soldiers.

“Alzina!” She said, “How wonderful to see you again.”

 

The fear that they had made the wrong choice festered and grew in Payla’s gut with every step they took away from the race track. They scanned the tablet back and forth with the sensor attached to the end, trying to distract themselves from their own thoughts.

The readings had shown many of the bayards to be fairly close, the furthest appeared as though it were approximately a two day walk. Perhaps Hanare’s family would let them borrow it for a day so that the group were able to travel out and retrieve it.

The screen blipped again and Payla quickened their pace. The sooner they found the bayard the sooner they could get back and help.

“We’re getting pretty close to one of the Empire’s offices. What if they already found it?” Hanare asked.

“Then we break in and get it.” Payla said simply, as if they were forming a shopping list and getting the bayard merely meant that they had to go to an obscure shop to pick it up, or travel just out of the way from their usual route.

Payla signalled for him to duck and they watched as patrol of droids march past them. Between them they were carrying a small pod, similar to the one that Alzina had arrived in. Payla lifted the sensor up towards the pod, following it slowly as it moved.

“I hate it when you’re right.” They groaned, tucking the tablet into their rucksack and rummaging about for anything they could use.

“Payla!” Hanare cried, grabbing at their shoulder and pointing to a table beside them, loaded with crates of various sizes.

“What is it?” They asked, looking to where he was pointing. It was a small box, about the size of the average microwave. The lid was loose from some form of blow it had received as evidenced by the large dent it had on its side, but within it were small bombs, spilling out onto the floor.

“Perfect!” Payla breathed as they darted over to it, gently scooping one up in their hand and examining it. “Looks like they’re locked by a remote.”

“Are the remotes not with them?” Hanare asked, gently lifting the boxes up and examining the contents written on the side. “Maybe we could try and trick them into thinking your tablet is a remote?”

Payla nodded and tossed their bag towards him, “Try and find a wire I can connect into the bombs.” They said as they began dismantling some of the panelling with one of the screwdrivers.

After a few attempts the panelling popped off and Hanare soon found a wire which connected from the tablet to the bomb. He watched as Payla frantically typed away on the screen, their brows furrowing as they pushed their glasses up their nose in frustration.

“Ugh, it won’t let me in! If this had be Ma-”

“Wait,” Hanare interrupted, “What if we just overload it?”

“We’d risk blowing ourselves up!”

“Not if we toss it really fast.” He said and Payla wondered where the fearful kid that she knew had disappeared to.

“We’re only going to get one shot at this.” They said, hesitating as they began to type once more. After a moment they stopped and turned to Hanare, “You ready?”

He nodded.

“On my signal you need to rip it out and throw it towards the opposite side, then we run in, get the bayard and get out. OK?”

He nodded again, “OK.”

“1…2…3! Payla slammed their finger down and as soon as they did Hanare tore it from the tablet and threw it to the other side. A few droids turned to look but by that point it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little late in updating (I was going to post at 6) because I'm helping out backstage rn. Also, season 8 was... a thing :/


	8. Chapter 8

“Payla?” Matt was cautiously making his way across the room, having to balance on the tips of his toes so he wouldn't knock or break any of the equipment Payla had left scattered haphazardly across their floor.

“Payla!” he called again and this time a head popped out from the overhanging platform they'd added to their room for ‘secret projects’.

“Oh, hey Matt what's up?”

“You haven't checked the time have you?” he asked.

“Pfft, course I have!” they said, squinting at the clock behind him. “It's 6am!” they replied triumphantly.

“And the date?”

Payla glanced about them for their calendar before Matt reached up and placed a small wrapped present in front of them.

“Happy birthday idiot.”

 

Payla slowly lifted the bayard up off the desk. It was like a small green handle connected to itself and nothing else. They thought of their brother sitting in a cell, his hair ragged and long. They thought of him being wheeled away beneath a white cloth or slaving away in the mines.

He had to be alive. Payla needed him to be alive. Their brother and father were safe somewhere in the world and they were going to find them.

The bayard began to glow in their hand and Payla felt a rush of chill air run through them, seeping into their blood and wrapping itself across its skin.

They opened their eyes and saw that the bayard had changed. It looked like a glove, with glowing green strips running from the hem to the fingertips.

Payla wanted to study them but a shout from Hanare signalled that it was time to leave. They dashed from the room, lobbing a disruptor they'd grabbed from the side before latching onto Hanare’s are and sprinting in the opposite direction.

“Did you get it?” he yelled over the blaring alarms and distant explosions. Payla simply smiled and gestured to their glove.

“Looks a little different to Alzina’s but I think I can pull it off.”

“Can you do any magic?” Hanare asked, pulling Payla round a corner and out of the way of a shower of blasts. “Because if you can do magic it would be really great if you could do some now!”

Payla bit their lip and peered round the corner, watch as the patrol which had shot at them slowly began to approach. They looked down at their gloved hand. Why was their bayard so hard to figure out when Alzina’s was so straightforward? They flexed and noticed something that made their face light up.

“Hanare,” they said turning to look at him gleefully, “I'm fucking Wolverine!”

Before Hanare could even begin to question what Payla meant they burst round the corner and dove at the nearest guard, smashing their fist into its chin. Spikes shot through their head and as Payla pulled back a mass of vines erupted from inside it. The body collapsed to the floor, its head now a clutter of leaves and circuits, fizzing and sparking beneath them.

Payla clapped their hands together and the glove grew to cover their other arm. A guard lunged at them and Payla leapt back, stabbing their gloves into its arm and then kicking it towards the other as the vines exploded out again, trapping the rest of the droids where they were.

“Let’s go!” Hanare yelled, running past the immobilised robot and swinging Payla onto his back as he did so.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?” They yelled, swinging their legs back and forth excitedly as Hanare ran.

“Yes.” He replied.

“I WAS AMAZING! _THAT_ WAS AMAZING!”

“I understand Payla and I hope you’re prepared to do that all again. We need to go and help Alzina and the others.”

 

Alzina was struggling to hold back the mass of droids and soldiers that Merla had convinced to attack them. To her left, Leandro was shooting blast after blast, but she could already tell that he was running low on energy. Akira, on her right, was leaping from droid to droid slicing their heads from their bodies, or smashing their cores.

Meanwhile more droids kept coming in a seemingly endless mass, Merla standing near the entrance simply watching her victory creep closer into a reality.

“You could just give up now,” she called down, “it would be so much easier.”

Alzina shut her out, swiping across a droids chest with her sword as she tossed another across to some of the encroaching soldiers.

“…No? You wish to continue this pointless fighting?” Leandro fired a blast into one of the droids heads, a neat hole piercing through it as it fell to the floor.

“Do you want to die like your father did? Fighting for senseless honour?” Akira drove his blade deep into one of their chests, tossing a knife from his belt over to one of the droids attempting to come up from behind them.

“This is ridiculous!” Merla yelled as she pulled her gloves off her hands, casting them to the floor as she drew her own sword. “Perhaps the blood of your allies will convince you otherwise.”

“Don’t let her touch your skin!” Alzina screamed as Merla lunged forward, trampling over her troops heads as she leapt up and slammed into the ground between Leandro and Alzina.

Her sword stabbed forward and Leandro spun out of its path. He lifted his gun and held the trigger to fire. Nothing happened. Leandro’s blood ran cold as Merla reached forward, smile wide and gleeful.


	9. Chapter 9

Leandro felt his body slam into a wall. In the distance he could hear the sounds of screaming and shouting, the muffled sound of metal scraping against metal mixed in with the painful ringing in his ears. His mind felt numb and hazy, filled with cotton to muffle his thoughts. Only one phrase remained cemented in his head through all the spiralling pain and confusion.

_Stay down_

His body and mind readily agreed to its words, letting his head loll and his body slumping to the side. Another shout and the sounds of metal scraping against metal grew louder and closer. Rushes of wind, blowing sand across his body in light waves. He wanted to open his eyes and look but the command to stay down made his eye lids feel heavy as lead.

Someone shouted his name. Then another. He fought to move, open his eyes or get up. Something!

His eyelids fluttered open for a second and saw a figure stood looming over his friends. Hanare and Payla were there now. What were they doing there? When had they arrived?

 _Stay down_ whispered the words, the voice which spoke them both familiar and chilling, pushing into his head like a sharp frost.

He felt his trigger finger twitch as his limbs shook. One of his guns may be dead but perhaps he had one more shot left in the other.

Despite the agony which was coursing through his limbs, Leandro pulled himself up onto his elbow.

_Stay down_

For a moment he almost agreed. It would be so much easier to simply lay back down again. He shook his head. Tears were streaming from his eyes, blurring his vision but he forced them to open and look. He raised his arm and…

His body gave way as a scream echoed across the track, not sure if it was his own or someone else’s.

“You insolent little fool!” cried a voice before another scream echoed across the track followed a dull thud from somewhere in the distance.

“Grab Leandro!” came a shout and he soon felt a pair of arms lift him up. The person felt warm and in Leandro’s muddled mind he couldn’t help but nestle his head closer into his saviour’s neck. His lips brushed the skin as his nose breathed in the smell of old wood smoke and dust. With the tender embrace and comforting smells Leandro slipped into unconsciousness as voices spoke in hushed tones around him.

 

Leandro had no idea how long he'd been sleeping but when he did wake it was already dark outside. He wasn't in his room but judging by the star maps pinned across the walls and the test papers stacked across every available surface he was in his brothers. He could make out Takashi and Dante's silhouettes in the doorway and Leandro could already imagine that conversation. Akira was perched on the end of the bed, his hair loosely tied up into a ponytail, in his hand he was throwing his knife high into the air before catching with his other hand.

“Isn’t that kind of dangerous?” Leandro asked after fondly watching from afar for a few moments. At the sound of his voice Akira jumped and the knife fell to the floor with a thwack, the blade now buried partway into the wood flooring below.

Dante burst into the room, following the frightened looks to the knife stuck into the floorboards and sighed. Takashi appeared next to him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder which Dante eagerly leant into.

“Akira, could you…” Takashi gestured to the other room. Akira shot a worried look over to Leandro but he eventually moved, prying his knife from the wood as he went. The door closed with a gentle click and the pair were left alone.

“Is everyone OK?”

Dante nodded, placing himself down onto the bed. “They're all good. They're in the lounge at the moment, Payla’s showing off their bayard to the others.”

Leandro grinned, “Is it cool? What does it look like? Which one is it?”

“Whoa! Slow down! It’s the green bayard, they look like a pair of gloves and when Payla clenches their fist these… knife things? Uh… blades? Claws? Come out.”

“Like wolverine?” Dante snapped his fingers, pointing at Leandro as though he’d guessed the correct word in charades.

“What happened though, how’d I get here?”

“From what I could gather,” began Dante, “A lady named Merla threw you into a wall but she has… magic skin? Which can mind control you or something. Anyway, Payla and Hanare arrived shortly afterwards and managed to clear the rest of the attackers by stabbing the ground? Then you shot Merla in the back and now you’re here!”

Leandro pouted, clearly annoyed at the fact that he’d missed the epic end to the fight. It was probably fine, they’d have plenty of chances to fight the Empire and maybe next time Leandro would have a bayard of his own.

“I’m not going to tell mum.” Dante said, suddenly pulling Leandro from his fantasy, “I probably should tell her, or tell you to stop.”

“I wouldn’t listen.”

“I know…” Dante muttered, frustration clear in his voice, “I just don’t want you to get hurt or killed and then I have to live with the fact that I never said anything or tried hard enough to stop you.”

Leandro gasped in an over-the-top dramatic fashion, his hand rising to his chest as though he were a Victorian lady about to faint, “How dare you doubt my skills!” He said, putting on a ridiculous posh accent. Dante had to fight back laughter.

“Leo please!” he said, fighting the smile that was already curling the sides of his lips. Leandro simply ignored him, pressing the back of his other hand to his head and laying back on the bed.

“You wound me my dear sir, truly.” Dante snorted with laughter, his attempts to hide it behind his hand futile. Leandro grinned, successfully managing to have pulled his brother from his concerned mindset.

“I’ll be fine idiot.” Leandro told him, giving his shoulder a light shove.

Dante shoved him back with a chuckle, “Idiot.”


	10. Chapter 10

Akira thought he’d managed to slip away unnoticed. He didn’t want to leave but if it meant avoiding Takashi.

“Going somewhere?”

He froze. Takashi was looking down at him from the doorway, in a few steps he was beside Akira and a few seconds later he was hugging him. “I shouldn’t have yelled earlier. I’m sorry. I was worried when I heard what happened and angry that you didn’t come to me and Dante.”

Akira didn’t move. He was touch starved and desperate for the familial contact he’d lost with his own father but stubbornness made him remain stock-still.

Takashi pulled away, “Are you at least ok?”

It would be so easy to tell the truth. No, he was sleeping in whatever crevice he could find because the quiet scared him. No, he was gambling what little money he had on races because no one would hire him. No, because he liked a boy who only saw him as a friend or a rival. No, nothing was ok and he didn’t know what to do about it.

And what would happen if he did? Dante and Takashi barely had enough room for themselves and now they were taking care of Alzina. Where would Alzina go if Akira took her place?

“Of course I’m fine.” Akira said, digging the toe of his boot into the dirt and kicking up a small cloud of dust.

“Good.” Takashi replied, “Let me know if you’re not though. Dante and I will always be here for you if you need us.”

Akira nodded silently. Of course they would be there for him. The pair of them were almost the only people educating anyone nowadays thanks to the Empire’s ruling. He couldn’t name a single kid on the race track that hadn’t been taught to ride a bike by anyone other than Takashi and almost anyone under the age of fourteen had had Dante teach them for at least a term. They couldn’t help but care and be there for everyone but Akira was fine without them. He could manage without them.

“I’m going to head off.” He announced, breaking the tense quiet which had grown between them like a weed.

“Oh, are you sure? Don’t you want to talk to Leandro before you leave?”

“No, it’s fine.” He said, absentmindedly resting his hand on his neck. “I’ll…see you around.”

He pushed the bike out from the back of the house. Through the window he could see the warm light spilling out onto the street, laughter and light-hearted conversations echoed down the road.

Akira could almost imagine himself there, Payla recounting a tale drastically blown out of proportion to make them sound even better while Hanare interrupted every now and again, correcting the events. Alzina and Leandro would be listening in awe, perhaps he’d lean against him or even cling to him in a tense moment… No. Leandro wouldn’t do that. Not with him.

After about half an hour Akira found a secluded enough crevice to hide his bike in, burying it under some loose boxes that happened to have been left there. Grabbing his stuff he clambered up into one of the abandoned buildings which had been abandoned partway into construction. Edging his way across a ledge he eventually found a window which had been smashed in. Usually he would search until he found an open one but this time he merely had to step over the glass shards sprinkled across the floor and he was fine. Despite its isolation he could still hear the distance humming from the lights below, mixed in with the sounds of dogs barking and families squabbling. It was comforting. It sounded like life unlike the desert with its soul sucking silence. With his father it had been bearable but without him the place felt even more haunted.

Deciding on a corner Akira rolled his sleeping bag and space blanket out and began changing into a large loose shirt. Most nights he just slept in the clothes he’d worn in the day but Akira hadn’t been given the chance to properly wash the clothes he had on him currently and was hoping to make them last one day more while he grabbed some more from the cave.

Wrapping the space blanket around him he pulled a sketchbook from his bag along with one of his few pencils. It had almost completely disappeared by now, not even the size of his little finger but it still had some use in it. He began to sketch Payla’s bayard, using his own gloves as references as he drew. He then moved on to Alzina’s bayard. Then an attempted drawing of Merla. He went to draw Leandro but his hand stopped, afraid of what might happen if he found it.

He shut the notebook with a snap and slip it back into his bag. It was getting dark anyway.

Akira climbed into his sleeping bag and pulled the space blanket on top. Clearing his head as best he could he tried to sleep.

 

It was the voices that slowly awoke him. Closer than those in the streets and only getting louder. Akira bolted up, leaving everything but his knife as he ducked behind one of the walls.

A man stepped through into the room, dressed in dark colours with purple skin.

“You sure the informant said they went in here?” He said and Akira realised he was talking into a radio of some kind.

“Ok, Ok!” the galra said again and Akira watched as he made his way over to where he’d left everything.

“Well someone’s clearly been here.” He mused, crouching down and pressing his hand to the inside of the sleeping bag. “Recently.” They dragged his bag towards him, rummaging around before pulling out the small leather pouch.

“Found your proof,” he told the radio, “There’s about a month’s worth of quintessence being kept in vials here.”

Akira felt his blood run cold. If the quintessence was the evidence they were looking for then he knew exactly why they were here. Quietly as he could, Akira crept backwards towards the door, his knife clutched tightly in his hands. He kept his footsteps light, avoiding loose debris and anything else that might give him away. So long as he could get out of the door without being spotted he should be safe.

Carefully he snuck closer and closer to the door, his gaze fixed on the back of the galra who was still peering through his bag, pulling out his shirts and knives and sketchbook and cash, everything he had save for the clothes on his back were being unceremoniously rifled through.

His back hit the door and Akira froze briefly, wondering if the galra had heard the quiet bump from the door. When he made no movement Akira took it as a sign that he was, for the moment, still in the clear. His hand felt for the handle just as the man stood up and turned.

For a few second they merely stared at each other before Akira slammed against the handle. He rattled it and pushed frantically but the door wouldn’t open. It had been locked.

Panic was rising in his chest and he turned to see the man raising his hands. Akira dove at him, his knife cutting his calf as he skidded past him. The galra gasped quietly but was not quite caught off guard by Akira’s attempt at kicking him away as he grabbed his leg and pulled him up. He was tall enough that Akira’s fingers barely brushed the ground from how he was being held.

“My you’re a fiery one aren’t you!” the man exclaimed. Akira simply tried to stab him again, swinging his arm towards him in an attempt to stab his leg. The galra grabbed his wrist as he swung forward, twisting it until Akira was forced to drop the blade to the floor.

“How about we make a deal?” he said, holding Akira firmly as he struggled. “I’ll put all our weapons out of reach and the two of us can talk. I swear I’m not trying to hurt you in any way.”

“Fat chance!” Akira spat, “I know exactly why you’re here.”

“Then you’ll know that quintessence isn’t a long term solution.” Akira stilled, listening. “Let me help you. If you really want no part in it then I’ll leave.”

Akira swallowed his pride, knowing that it would be easier to escape if he had the full use of all his limbs. “Fine.”

The galra smiled, friendlier than Akira was used to. Most of the galran soldiers he saw would only smile when they knew they were above you. They’d grin and laugh like hyenas after shoving you down into mud, knowing there was nothing you would do because if you did you’d be placing a target on your back. This galra however held no malice or hidden intentions as he gently let Akira go, kicking his knife and tossing his gun just out of reach.

The galra sat down with a sigh, crossing his legs together and resting his hands on top of his lap.

“Would you prefer I called you Yorak or Akira?”


	11. Chapter 11

Yorak. That was the name he’d found written on all the notes his mother had left him. All apologies and hopes that he would not resent her for leaving. That if he ever read these it meant that she hadn’t come back. More apologies.

Those notes held so much within them and at the same time so little. They were the only evidence he’d ever even had a mum save for a single photograph, stained and creased but her. She certainly didn’t look like she’d blend in with humans but at the same time she stood out from most galra. She’d been only about half galra and Akira’s father had been human.

The two had met, briefly and gotten on well with one another. They began a relationship which was cut short after his mother had to leave. He didn’t know why she left and his father had never told him her name, worried he would try and find her.

 _“There’s no use risking your life to search for a corpse.”_ He used to say whenever Akira would bring it up.

 

“Not Yorak.” Akira told him and the galra smiled once more.

“Very well, Akira. You’re aware of your parentage?”

“Yes, that’s…that’s why I took the quintessence.”

The galra nodded several times before continuing, “Have any other galra approached you or tried to attack you?”

Akira shook his head.

“Ok, have you been experiencing any symptoms like eye shine, skin discolouration or hair discolouration?”

“No, just…angry at times.”

“Don’t worry, that’s probably the human hormones.” Akira rolled his eyes, leaning into the palm of his hand.

“Who do you work for?” Akira asked, “If I’m handing all this info about myself can I at least know who’s using it.”

“You don’t know?”

“I have a few theories.” “Well don’t worry, no one’s going to see any of this data except for you, me and my boss.” The galra assured, “This is all so we can keep you safe. If traits start emerging the Empire will try and snap you up before you can do anything to reverse it. Of course there’s always the chance that you won’t inherit any traits. After all you are only a quarter galra, you might just be an angry human.”

“I already know that,” Akira snapped, “Who do you work for?”

“The Blade of Marmora.” He replied simply, “We’re a galran rebel force currently focused on keeping as many kids out of the Empires reach as possible.”

“So you’re not even fighting the Empire?”

The galra’s face fell for a moment before tightening up. “A battle needs strength and for us that comes in numbers, numbers we simply don’t have.” He met Akira’s gaze again, “We are trying all we can.”

Sadness stained his words, frustration on not being able to do anything more bled through them and Akira could almost feel the arguments he’d had with commanding officers. In that moment he looked tired and old, crow’s feet pulling at his blank, yellow eyes and small scars cutting across his skin and through his fur.

“Last question!” he announced, forcing a cheerful air into his voice as he spoke. “Does anyone other than your father know?”

The mention of his father made him feel sick. Could he tell him what happened to his father? Would it even matter? His father had about the same chance of being alive as his mother did.

_“There’s no use risking your life to search for a corpse.”_

“No, I haven’t told anyone else.”

“Technically I shouldn’t say this but, you are allowed to tell people, those you can trust.” Akira laughed. It was small and mournful. A sob in disguise.

“Look around,” he said, gesturing about the empty floor, “does it look like I can trust someone with something like that.”

“…Akira.” The galra said, laying a hand gently on his forearm, “I know you might not trust me… us, but if you need somewhere to go you can come with me.”

He shook his head, “No, no… I’ll be fine.”

The galra pulled back and reached into his pocket before pulling out a small black triangle with a single button in the centre. He held it round to show Akira as he spoke.

“This is a beacon, if you click the button three times fast it will let me know that you need help but aren’t in any immediate danger. If you hold the button it means that you need help that instance,” the galra’s tone got very dark and serious as he continued, “if you are caught make sure you keep this on you, it will send out your location to us and so long as you have it with you we can try and help you.”

He pressed it gently into Akira’s hands, “It’s up to you if you use it.” He told him as he stood up.

Gently picking up the knife he handed it back to Akira, “Ask for Thace if you get in contact.”

Akira slowly nodded his head and Thace flashed him one last comforting grin before pocketing his gun and slipping out of the room.

Akira stared down at the small object in his hand. He resisted the urge to chuck it out of the broken window and instead slipped it into the bindings wrapped around his mother’s knife before laying down.

He tried to sleep but the drunken ramblings had fallen silent. Other than the occasional dog yapping away in the distance and the gentle hum of the street lights it was all quiet. Even signing the few lullabies his father had sung to him did nothing to fill the void. So he remained, awake until the sun began to rise till he slipped into a light doze before setting off back to Takashi’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't manage to update yesterday I was ill and couldn't. Still I'm better now so please enjoy :)


	12. Chapter 12

Hanare noticed Takashi’s worried look as he returned inside without Akira trailing behind. He rose from his place next to Payla and crossed the room towards him. No one noticed him leave, Alzina and Leandro enthralled by Payla, their bayard and their storytelling.

“Where’d Akira go? Is he not going to say goodbye?” Hanare asked in a low voice so he wouldn’t disturb the others.

“He said he was heading off back home, maybe he’s just tired… wants some time to himself…” Takashi trailed off absentmindedly, worry flashing across his face.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, he’s Akira!” Takashi gave him the briefest of smiles, his face soon slipping back into concern.

“How has he been?” Takashi asked.

“I’m not really sure,” he said, “I usually only see him at the race track or at the garage. Sometimes I’d spot him about town…most of the time he just seemed like he’s hanging out on his own.”

“He hung out with Payla though didn’t he?” Asked Takashi softly.

“Only for the last year or so. Payla wanted to test out their own skills and Akira was the only person willing to participate in their experiments.” Takashi hummed slightly. He offered no continuation to the conversation, drawing it to its conclusion.

Hanare stepped back towards the others who’d finally finished recounting the events of that afternoon.

“Where’s Akira?” Leandro asked, peering behind Hanare as though he were merely blocked from view.

“He went home.” Hanare replied, “And we should probably do the same unless you want your mum to get suspicious.”

Leandro groaned, “Dante can’t you tell mum I’m over at yours?”

“Already did, she wants you back for dinner in an hour.” He said, not looking up from his mark book.

A sigh huffed its way out of Leandro as he rose to his feet, “Fine, we’ll go. Payla, you gonna come with?”

“I’d like to discuss the bayards a bit more if that’s ok? If everyone’s free we could probably try and find the next one tomorrow.”

Leandro beamed but before he could dive back into the conversation Hanare had grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him from the room, leaving him to shout out his farewells as they left.

 

Harare drove them back, he wasn’t a very good driver when it came to using the hover bikes but he’d prefer he did it, especially after Leandro fell asleep against his shoulder partway into the journey.

Alejandra saw them approaching and waved. With a sharp poke in the ribs Hanare managed to wake Leandro up before his sister noticed.

“How come you’re not driving, Leo?” She asked, leaning across the fence so that she was uncomfortably close.

“He fell off his bike and I didn’t think it was the best idea to have him driving afterwards,” Hanare told her, “concussions y’know?”

Alejandra seemed to accept the answer and opened the gate for Leandro to enter. Already he could smell his mums cooking and it made his stomach growl.

“See ya tomorrow!” He called, dashing inside.

“See ya!” Hanare cried back, “Bye Alejandra.”

“Bye Hanare!”

 

Hanare continued down the street to the garage, humming a small jingle that had been playing on one of his neighbours radios. He could see his mother beneath one of the delivery trucks, the news playing from the radio she had at her feet.

“Hello mum.” He called over in Samoan. She stuck her head out and smiled as she recognised her eldest son, “Good evening Hanare.” She replied, pulling herself out. “Your father’s on dinner duty tonight, he wanted me to take a look at one of the trucks. He can’t figure it out and neither can I.”

“Can I take a look?” he asked.

“Of course! Maybe your young eyes will see something that we missed.”

Hanare laid down and pushed himself beneath the truck and asked, “What’s wrong with it?”

“The hover engine isn’t getting enough power but the tubing seems fine and nothing seems to be leaking.”

Hanare looked above him to the exposed panel with tubes and wires running across it. Bits of dirt were clinging to some of the tubes and pipes, not unusual for the underside of a truck, especially when doing along the dirt track roads left for the civilians. He reached up to wipe it away and found it stuck solidly to the piping. He grabbed the flat-headed screwdriver and attempted to scrape it off but still it remained firmly attached.

He slid out and grabbed a pair of pliers and a laser cutter in addition to dressing himself in the correct safety gear.

“Looks serious.” His mum commented as she watched Hanare crawl back underneath the truck.

He gripped the end of one of the larger dirt clumps and pulled. The whole pipe seemed to try and come with him and Hanare tossed them aside as he raised the laser cutter.

He marked where the dirt clumps stopped forming and began to cut.

 

Hanare sat at the table outside staring at the pipe he’d pulled from the truck, his mother was already fitting a new one as his dad stepped out from the house with their food.

“Still trying to figure it out?” He asked and Hanare nodded, not breaking eye contact as his turned it in his hand. The outside of the pipe wasn’t the only thing that had been coated in dirt, inside the pipe it was as if concrete had formed, cutting off the fuel supply yet the fuel itself was still missing. When he’d pulled the pipe free nothing had spilled out as Hanare expected, it was bone dry.

A theory popped into Hanare’s head and he got up from the table, making his way towards the fuel canister.

“Hey!” His dad protested, “What about my cooking?”

Hanare ignored him as he grabbed the fuel canister and poured a tiny drizzle over the stone like material. The fuel seemed to sink into the material before the concrete-like substance seemed to liquefy, increasing in size ever so slightly before solidifying once more.

“Mum! Dad! Come look at this!” They hurried over to him and watched as he demonstrated the phenomena once again. His dad took the pipe from his hand, concern on both his parents’ faces.

“This isn’t good. If this is happening to all the vehicles then it could back up deliveries for weeks, maybe months.”

“And what if it gets into the water pipes,” his mother continued, “Or the sewage pipes?” They fell silent. The chaos of whatever this was spreading through their imagination like a wildfire.

“I’ll go and see the Empire representative tomorrow.” His father said, “At the very least they might want to stop this from happening to their own tech.”

Hanare’s mother opened her mouth as if she were about to protest but quickly swallowed her words. There was always the possibility that this was the Empire’s doing and by showing them what his family had found Hanare’s father may be putting his own life at risk. No one could bring themselves to voice this concern however and the night descended into a tense silence.


	13. Chapter 13

“FUCKING BITCH!” screamed Merla as she pushed past the druids who’s attempted to heal her wounds.

“I take it your attempt to capture Alzina went unsuccessful.” Axca asked, disinterestedly glancing up from the file in her hand to view the dishevelled general.

“You,” Merla spat, “Why did you leave your post? I ordered you to remain with the green bayard and under no circumstance to leave!”

“My apologies general but I was ordered by someone else to return immediately.” Axca replied, tossing the file she’d been pouring over onto a nearby desk as she straightened herself.

Merla scoffed, “Who could hav-”

“Good evening general Merla.” Came the voice from behind her. It was deep and booming, sending a chill running down her spine as she recognised its owner.

She turned on her heel and bowed, pressing a closed fist onto her chest and above her heart.

“My lord.” She said, not daring to raise her head as he loomed over her.

“At ease.” He instructed and Merla rose to meet his gaze. It was blank and empty. His eyes a solid yellow with a dull void that seemed to reside within them. It was as if someone had scooped the soul from his body and left him a shell of a person, a cruel shell but an empty one nonetheless.

“It has been brought to my attention that you’ve been withholding information from me, would you care to explain yourself?” He asked and Merla could practically feel the smug grin worn upon Axca’s face behind her.

“My lord,” Merla began, once more bowing her head, “I did not think I should burden you with a matter seemingly so trivial.”

“You see the black bayard as trivial?” Zarkon asked, his hand slowly moving towards the hilt of his sword.

“NO! My lord, of course the bayard is not a trivial matter, I believed the task would easily have been completed before the document had been brought to your attention, why waste your time reading up on the past when we are preparing for a glorious new age?”

Zarkon seemed to contemplate her words before drawing his hand away from his weapon. “Do not keep things like this from me again.” He commanded, a threatening growl rolling from his lips.

“Of course not my lord, my sincerest apologies.”

“Commander Sendak will be overseeing you from now on.” He stated and Merla felt her blood boil. It was all she could do to restrain her anger into a peaceful protest.

“I assure you, my lord, I will not fail like this again.”

“You’re right,” he said, turning to leave, “You won’t but you are to be married soon and I’m sure someone like you shouldn’t need to worry about such _trivial_ matters.”

As soon as Emperor Zarkon’s footsteps were no more than a distant memory Axca began to laugh. Merla said nothing to her, simply scowling as she told her to leave.

 

Axca made her way along the corridor, whistling a tune heard on one of the Earth radios that had been playing when she’d wandered through the streets a few days ago. She swung round the corner and tapped out the tune on Lotor’s door.

After a few seconds, proceeded by several crashes and yelps Lotor pulled the door ajar ever so slightly.

“Oh Axca, it’s you!” he said, the tension immediately leaving his body as he let her through.

“Quite a paper collection you got here.” Axca noted, gesturing to the walls and floors covered in documents and printed off news articles, Altean blueprints and screenshots from CCTV feeds. To say that his room was messy would have been an understatement and Lotor was in no better condition himself. “Is…is that a hairbrush stuck in your hair?”

“Yes.”

“…Lotor when was the last time you slept?” Axca asked. Lotor pointed to the bed, paper covering every surface of it. “Not recently.” Axca raised an eyebrow at him before reaching towards the paper to move it.

“NO!” He yelled, grabbing her arm, “Don’t move it! All of this is organized perfectly.”

“Lotor you need to sleep, this isn’t healthy!” Axca placed her hands on either side of his shoulders, she could see the dark shadows sinking into his face beneath his eyes. “I know you want to find Alzina but to do that, to help her, you need to be well enough to do so.”

Lotor nodded, letting his hands fall to his side as he dropped onto the bed.

“Do you want me to move the paper?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, causing it to rustle and crinkle beneath him, “What if Merla finds it.” “Then we can bring it up digitally?”

He shook his head again, “She could hack it, or force me to unlock it.”

“She could also force you to simply tell her what you know.” She saw the panic begin to rise in his face but Axca laid a hand over his, “But Narti, Zethrid, Ezor and I are not going to let that happen. I promise, we’re your friends and we’re going to get you out of this mess.” He nodded his head again as he pushed the paper beside him away.

“Thank you.” He breathed and Axca smiled as she pulled the hairbrush from his hair. He let out a grunt as she tugged it away before slumping down into the mattress.

She let him lay there as she gathered the paper into a somewhat organised pile. As she finished she noticed that Lotor had slipped into some form of sleep. Axca pulled a spare blanket from the cupboard and laid it over him before turning off the light and quietly exiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies to anyone who was invested in this fic as I likely won't be continuing it any further. College is drowning me in work and I've simply lost my passion for it, plus there are other projects I'd like to continue and finish that are being prevented due to my commitment to this fic.   
> I hope you all enjoyed what I was able to write and thanks.


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